Cuban province maintains kidney transplant program despite COVID-19

CAMAGUEY,Cuba, Mar 2 (ACN) Despite the restrictions imposed by the COVID-19, the kidney transplant program continues in the province of Camaguey (east of the country), where since 1978 580 surgeries of this type have been performed on patients from different Cuban territories.

In 2020, before the outbreak of the pandemic, three grafts were performed from the organs of deceased donors, and in the course of the current year none has been carried out, Surianis Marrero Mesa, regional transplant coordinator, commented to the Cuban News Agency.

The activity is not stopped, the organ procurers continue searching for potential donors, and when there is a patient who meets the conditions required to donate, the transplant team is activated and proceeds with the operation with the consent of the family and others, she said.

This eastern province has everything required for that purpose, since it is one of the priority programs in the Caribbean nation due to its importance and impact on the quality of life of the patients, despite the tightening of the U.S. economic, commercial and financial blockade against Cuba.

On April 24, 1978, the first kidney transplant was performed in Camaguey, and from that moment on, people from Moron, Ciego de Avila, and formerly also from Sancti Spiritus and Las Tunas have benefited from it.